2013 Ford Shelby GT500

Who Are We To Argue With The World's Most Powerful Production V8? As you're surely aware by now, the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 boasts a 5.8-liter beast of an engine making 662 horsepower, partnered in crime by 631 pound-feet of torque. There seems little to gain in rehashing what we already know – namely, that the 2013 GT500 is fast. Stupid, stinking, earth-shatteringly fast. Ignorantly fast, even. This much is a given. Anybody who can read a spec sheet knows that the GT500 can set ablaze a straight-line drag race and will be even more ludicrous with its snake-encrusted nose pointed toward an unlimited runway. This Mustang will gallop to two 202 miles per hour in fact, which is pure insanity. But why? What's the point? To put it another way, what do you do with a two-door coupe straining to keep that supertanker-size engine firmly attached to its motor mounts while the traction control tries (and fails miserably) to keep its rear tires planted? When the keys to the 2013 Shelby GT500 were handed to us, we figured we'd have exactly one week to find out why anyone would want to buy one, beyond the obvious, of course. As it turns out, the answer was rather simple. There's an argument to be made that the best-looking Mustang is the simplest Mustang. Subtract all the scoops, bulges, badges and decals and you're left with a pure and simple coupe with classic proportions. Long deck, short tail. It's a trick that Ford used to good effect with the original Mustang in the mid-1960s and the world hasn't grown sick of it yet. If you're going to go all retro on us with a car, you may as well go all the way. That said, if you're going to go all retro on us with a car, you may as well go all the way. And so we're left with a car bedazzled with twin black grates on its butched-up hood; a fascia with fog lights, splitters, blacked-out mesh and a massive opening for air; a set of period-correct racing stripes that join smaller pairs on the bodysides and, of course, a large rear spoiler with a Gurney Flap. Clean it is not. Effective it is. Nobody could possibly gaze upon the 2013 GT500 and not understand its mission. Even more so than the reborn Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger, the Shelby gets its point across loud and clear. If you're in the market for one, we suggest you just go all the way and pick the most flamboyant color combination your retinas will allow. Because, well... why not? Continuing this subtle-as-the-Terminator theme is the engine under the hood. Pop it open and you'll be greeted by nearly as many labels and proclamations as you see on its skin. Each side of the V is covered with bright blue valve covers emblazoned by cast aluminum strips that read "POWERED BY SVT." All caps, of course. In case you had forgotten its displacement, …Full Review

Who Are We To Argue With The World's Most Powerful Production V8? As you're surely aware by now, the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 boasts a 5.8-liter beast of an engine making 662 horsepower, partnered in crime by 631 pound-feet of torque. There seems little to gain in rehashing what we already know – namely, that the 2013 GT500 is fast. Stupid, stinking, earth-shatteringly fast. Ignorantly fast, even. This much is a given. Anybody who can read a spec sheet knows that the GT500 can set ablaze a straight-line drag race and will be even more ludicrous with its snake-encrusted nose pointed toward an unlimited runway. This Mustang will gallop to two 202 miles per hour in fact, which is pure insanity. But why? What's the point? To put it another way, what do you do with a two-door coupe straining to keep that supertanker-size engine firmly attached to its motor mounts while the traction control tries (and fails miserably) to keep its rear tires planted? When the keys to the 2013 Shelby GT500 were handed to us, we figured we'd have exactly one week to find out why anyone would want to buy one, beyond the obvious, of course. As it turns out, the answer was rather simple. There's an argument to be made that the best-looking Mustang is the simplest Mustang. Subtract all the scoops, bulges, badges and decals and you're left with a pure and simple coupe with classic proportions. Long deck, short tail. It's a trick that Ford used to good effect with the original Mustang in the mid-1960s and the world hasn't grown sick of it yet. If you're going to go all retro on us with a car, you may as well go all the way. That said, if you're going to go all retro on us with a car, you may as well go all the way. And so we're left with a car bedazzled with twin black grates on its butched-up hood; a fascia with fog lights, splitters, blacked-out mesh and a massive opening for air; a set of period-correct racing stripes that join smaller pairs on the bodysides and, of course, a large rear spoiler with a Gurney Flap. Clean it is not. Effective it is. Nobody could possibly gaze upon the 2013 GT500 and not understand its mission. Even more so than the reborn Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger, the Shelby gets its point across loud and clear. If you're in the market for one, we suggest you just go all the way and pick the most flamboyant color combination your retinas will allow. Because, well... why not? Continuing this subtle-as-the-Terminator theme is the engine under the hood. Pop it open and you'll be greeted by nearly as many labels and proclamations as you see on its skin. Each side of the V is covered with bright blue valve covers emblazoned by cast aluminum strips that read "POWERED BY SVT." All caps, of course. In case you had forgotten its displacement, …Hide Full Review

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